Collected for the first time, the New York stories of John O'Hara, "among the greatest short story writers in English, or in any other language" (Brendan Gill, Here at The New Yorker) Collected for the first time, here are the New York stories of one of the twentieth century’s definitive chroniclers of the city—the speakeasies and highballs, social climbers and cinema stars, mistresses and powerbrokers, unsparingly observed by a popular American master of realism. Spanning his four-decade career, these more than thirty refreshingly frank, sparely written stories are among John O’Hara’s finest work, exploring the materialist aspirations and sexual exploits of flawed, prodigally human characters and showcasing the snappy dialogue, telling details and ironic narrative twists that made him the most-published short story writer in the history of the New Yorker. With an introduction by the editor, and a foreword both written and read by E.L. Doctorow. Narrated by Becky Ann Baker, Dylan Baker, Bobby Cannavale, Jon Hamm, Richard Kind, Jan Maxwell, Gretchen Mol, and Dallas Roberts
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“Superb…The thirty-two stories inhabit the Technicolor vernaculars of taxi drivers, barbers, paper pushers and society matrons…Undoubtedly, between the 1930s and the 1970s, [O’Hara] was American fiction’s greatest eavesdropper, recording the everyday speech and tone of all strata of midcentury society…What elevates O’Hara above slice-of-life portraitists like Damon Runyon and Ring Lardner is the turmoil glimpsed beneath the vibrant surfaces.”
— Wall Street Journal
“This is fiction, but it has, for me, the clang of truth.”
— John Updike“O’Hara’s eyes and ears have been spared nothing.”
— Dorothy Parker“A writer of dream-sharp tales, crisp yet dense.”
— Los Angeles TimesBe the first to write a review about this audiobook!
John O’Hara (1905–1970) was among the most prominent American writers of the twentieth century. Championed by Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Dorothy Parker, he wrote fourteen novels, including Appointment in Samarra and BUtterfield 8, and had more stories published in the New Yorker than anyone in the history of the magazine.
Becky Ann Baker, narrator and actress, has received critics’ praise for her readings of books by such authors as Stephen King, James Patterson, Patricia Cornwell, Iris Johansen, and Karin Slaughter. She has performed in numerous roles on Broadway, starring in Stephen Sondheim’s Assassins. Her many television credits include Girls, Smash, and Nurse Jackie, and her film credits include Spider-Man 3, The Discoverers, and Hope Springs.
Bobby Cannavale is a film, stage, and television actor. He has appeared in numerous television shows and films, but he is perhaps best known for his role as a reincarnated matchmaker on ABC's Cupid. He won an Emmy for his guest appearance on the hit show Will & Grace.
Dylan Baker is an American stage, screen, and television actor. He attended Georgetown Prep and William and Mary College before earning his BFA at Southern Methodist University, where his passion for acting was ignited with numerous stage roles. Later refining his talents at Yale’s School of Drama, Baker turned professional with big screen roles in movies like Planes, Trains and Automobiles, Delirious, and Love Potion No. 9. His audiobook narration has won him eleven AudioFile Earphones Awards.
Gretchen Mol is an actor and model. She has appeared in films by Woody Allen, Spike Lee, and more, starring opposite Matt Damon, Al Pacino, Sylvester Stallone, Sean Penn and more.
Jan Maxwell is an American stage and television actress. She made her Broadway debut in the musical City of Angels and has been nominated for two Tony Awards and two Drama Desk Awards. She won the 2005 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Her Broadway credits include Sixteen Wounded, Match, and The Dinner Party. She is the sister of Obie Award–winning playwright Richard Maxwell.
Richard Kind is an American actor known for his roles in television sitcoms, including Mad About You and Spin City. Also a prominent voice actor, his work includes Disney’s Tom and Jerry: The Movie, A Bug’s Life, Cars, and Cars 2. He lives in Santa Monica.
Dallas Roberts, who attended Juilliard, has lived in New York City for fourteen years. He was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for his role in the Off-Broadway play Nocturne by Adam Rapp. He is married to Christine Jones, who is the Set Designer for Spring Awakening and a professor at NYU. They have two sons, one of whom is named Ever Reverend Jones.
January LaVoy, winner of numerous awards for narration, was named a Golden Voice by AudioFile magazine in 2019. She is an American actress best known for her character Noelle Ortiz on the ABC daytime drama One Life to Live. In addition to working extensively in narration and television, including roles on Law & Order and All My Children, she has worked on and off Broadway as well as in regional theater.
Tavia Gilbert is an acclaimed narrator of more than four hundred full-cast and multivoice audiobooks for virtually every publisher in the industry. Named the 2018 Voice of Choice by Booklist magazine, she is also winner of the prestigious Audie Award for best narration. She has earned numerous Earphones Awards, a Voice Arts Award, and a Listen-Up Award. Audible.com has named her a Genre-Defining Narrator: Master of Memoir. In addition to voice acting, she is an accomplished producer, singer, and theater actor. She is also a producer, singer, photographer, and a writer, as well as the cofounder of a feminist publishing company, Animal Mineral.